The Splendor of the Red Chamber

The following afternoon, in the main hall of the Lin family mansion.

Sheng Minglan and Lin Daiyu sat facing each other, enjoying freshly made chilled plum juice.

Minglan naturally enjoys cold drinks, and this soup is a unique recipe from the Duke's mansion, with a taste that is incomparable to any other soup, so she ate it with great relish.

At this moment, Lin Daiyu handed the plum juice she had tasted a few times to Xueyan, who was standing beside her, saying, "Take it inside and share it with Zijuan."

Lin Ruhai was asleep in the inner room, and Zijuan was keeping watch by his bedside.

Seeing Xueyan take away Lin Daiyu's plum juice, Minglan hurriedly scooped up a large spoonful and then, imitating Daiyu, handed her own portion to her personal maid, Xiaotao.

Seeing this, Daiyu covered her mouth and chuckled, then called out to Minglan to serve her another bowl of plum juice: "You can eat yours. I used to have a weak stomach and never dared to touch these raw or cold things. Although I'm better now thanks to you, brother, I still don't dare to overeat."

Sheng Minglan had already seen Lin Daiyu practice the Eight Pieces of Brocade, so she naturally understood what she meant by those words.

He couldn't help but sigh, "The young master really dotes on you."

Lin Daiyu shook her head and said, "I've only ever heard people call my brother 'Second Master Lian' or 'Second Brother Lian,' I've never heard of him being called 'Young Master.'"

"Huh?!"

Minglan, holding the plum juice, suddenly widened her almond-shaped eyes and stammered, "But...but everyone calls the young master Qi of the Duke of Qi's mansion..."

Lin Daiyu only had a vague understanding of these matters, but she was more knowledgeable than Minglan. After thinking for a moment, she said, "It's probably because the Qi family still has the title of Duke, but the Rong and Ning families have already had their titles downgraded."

Minglan then realized what was happening.

Lin Daiyu took the initiative to entertain Sheng Minglan in order to express her gratitude to the Sheng family.

But as they got to know each other better, the two 12-year-old girls found themselves getting along better and better.

Because the two have too many similarities.

They all lost their mothers in Yangzhou when they were just a few years old, and were subsequently raised by their grandmothers (maternal grandmothers). They each had several siblings and were constantly bickering and making noise.

The difference is that Minglan was born out of wedlock. Although her father was by her side, he was not loving. Her two older sisters were born out of wedlock, one was born out of wedlock and the other was favored. Neither of them had a good temper, so Minglan suffered a lot of grievances on a daily basis.

However, Minglan did not turn out badly because of this. Although she appeared cautious and timid, she was still sunny and cheerful at heart.

In comparison, although Daiyu also suffered grievances in the Rongguo Mansion, she was protected by the old lady above and Baoyu always cared for her below, making her situation much better than Minglan's.

However, Lin Daiyu was naturally sensitive and could not help but feel melancholy and self-pity.

After they finished sharing their life stories, and remembering that both of their mothers had died in Yangzhou, Lin Daiyu recited with emotion: "In my dreams I often return to the old courtyard, but no one calls me to stand before the steps."

Minglan thought of her mother, Aunt Wei, and her eyes immediately reddened. She subconsciously lowered her head to hide it and said, "My fourth sister is also said to be a talented woman, but she can't speak as eloquently as you."

Before he could finish speaking, a handkerchief was already handed to him.

Minglan took it shyly, gently wiped her eyes, looked up and met Lin Daiyu's gaze. Then, the two of them suddenly burst into laughter as if they were on the same wavelength.

Just then, Jia Lian strode in from outside, wiping his sweat as he said, "I've already found out that Old Madam He has a grandson being raised in Baishitan. Tomorrow I'll send someone with the land deed to transfer those hundred-plus mu of paddy fields to Young Master He's name."

Since Old Madam He had come to offer free medical treatment, it would have been inappropriate for Jia Lian to accept money as a reward in person, so he chose to take a roundabout approach.

After finishing discussing the He family's affairs, Jia Lian glanced at Sheng Minglan, who was hiding behind a maid, and then said to Daiyu, "I heard that you and Miss Sheng got along very well. It just so happens that Old Madam Sheng has agreed to stay at our residence for a few days. You two should visit each other more often so you won't be lonely and bored."

As he spoke, he gave Sheng Minglan a hearty laugh: "Miss Sheng, don't be shy. My sister is in charge of this household. As long as she doesn't criticize your manners, no one will dare to utter a single word."

After saying that, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and left gracefully.

After Jia Lian left, Sheng Minglan, clutching her pounding heart, stepped out from behind her maid Xiao Tao and exclaimed in amazement, "This young master... your second brother Lian is quite different from what I imagined."

I had previously observed his impeccable manners and assumed he was the rigid, formal type like Young Master Qi. But today, I was surprised to find him to be so carefree and easygoing.

Lin Daiyu said with a hint of pride, "Although my brother is worldly-wise, he is still very natural and kind. Moreover, he has mastered martial arts and will be training in the army in the future, so he will not be as rigid and reserved as that young master Qi."

…………

the other side.

After leaving the inner quarters, Jia Lian returned to the makeshift training ground and picked up the horse spear that was stuck on the weapon rack.

The handle of the spear was made from that piece of sinewy wood, while the spearhead was crafted by skilled artisans under the command of the governor of nine provinces.

Compared to ordinary lances, this lance is longer and heavier, especially the tip, which features a thick spine and wide blade, making the entire lance top-heavy and difficult for the average person to handle.

But in Jia Lian's hands, this lance was incredibly fierce and unstoppable.

His wrist strength was powerful, and his waist and hips were strong, which precisely suppressed the forward lean of the spear.

The broad blade flashed with a cold light, and the heavy spear, far from appearing sluggish, instead used its top-heavy stance to add a fierce and killing aura.

With the speed of a rabbit leaping and a falcon swooping, his momentum was like a tiger unleashed from its cage. The spearhead brought with it a whistling wind, and every strike and thrust carried a fierce and devastating power.

Previously, Wang Ziteng's retainers often sparred with Jia Lian, but recently they have begun to avoid his sharp edge, fearing that a misstep would tarnish their "master's" reputation.

"Second Master, Second Master!"

Just as Jia Lian was sweating profusely, Long'er ran over excitedly, waving several letters at the side of the field: "Grandma and Second Master have sent letters again."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian tossed the lance to Xing'er and told him to wipe and maintain it.

He walked over to the room, took the letters, and saw that besides the letters from Jia Zheng and Wang Xifeng, there was also a letter from Jia Baoyu to Lin Daiyu.

So he casually tossed it back to Long'er, asking him to take it to Lin Daiyu for a look.

Unsurprisingly, upon opening Jia Zheng's letter, it contained further news from the imperial court.

After the grand court assembly on May 15th, the emperor did not respond to the issue of choosing an heir, but instead held three polo matches at the end of the month.

Each time, the emperor would personally take up the pole and ride his horse, displaying his heroic posture in front of all the civil and military officials, their wives and noblewomen.

Several young concubines also made frequent appearances, surrounding the emperor and showing off his power. Among them was Jia Lian's cousin, Jia Yuanchun.

Clearly, the emperor was trying to prove to his ministers that he was still as vigorous as ever and in his prime, and that he was far from being forced to abdicate.

However, the fact that the emperor, as the supreme ruler, could only intimidate his ministers in this way proves that his control over the court has declined.

However, this is understandable.

Emperor Jingtai of the Ming Dynasty was a recognized wise ruler, but because he had no children, he fell ill in the eighth year of his reign and was seized back to the throne by Zhu Qizhen, a student of the Oirat Mongols and the war god of the Ming Dynasty. He died in the palace in a muddle a few days later.

This year marks the eighth year of the Guanglong era, and the emperor, too, has no son and has just been ill for several months...

Faced with such a familiar scenario, even if the relationship between the ruler and his ministers is not one of estrangement, mutual suspicion is certainly inevitable.

However, Jia Zheng clearly did not see through these inside stories. Instead, he was preoccupied in the letter with whether it was proper or improper for Yuan Chun to play polo with men.

Hey~

My second uncle is really old-fashioned.

While the power struggle for the throne raged fiercely, he was preoccupied with concerns about etiquette and reputation.

Furthermore, the fact that men and women competed together in polo was a refined and elegant affair during the reigns of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong. It is only in the last two or three decades, when social customs have become more restrained, that it has become less common.

It's just a matter of restoring ancestral customs; what's there to criticize?

Jia Lian put down Jia Zheng's muddled letter and then opened Wang Xifeng's family letter.

Unsurprisingly, the topic was polo matches. Feng Jie wasn't qualified to participate in the polo matches hosted by the Emperor, but she was one of the main guests at the polo match hosted by Madam Wu of the Yongchang Earl's Mansion, who followed suit.

It is said that many officials' wives brought their unmarried children to the event, ostensibly to play polo, but secretly to take the opportunity to meet potential spouses.

Thinking of the grand matchmaking event, filled with elegant ladies and refined women, Jia Lian couldn't help but feel a little distracted.

He was originally a womanizer who couldn't live without women, but because he had a secretary and instructor sent by Grand Commandant Wang by his side, he hadn't dared to cross the line for the past six months, and he had been holding back his desire for a long time.

I wonder when I'll be able to break free from these constraints and fully utilize my talents...